Surviving Daily Fantasy Life!
by Kiyobi
Summary: The lighter side of Mabinogi! Elrin is a boy who is sick of his ordinary, typical life. After being invited to Erinn, Elrin discovers and begins a brand new, not-so-ordinary life.
1. Intro

I was just your typical, everyday kid.

One who attended a typical school with a typical education.  
I had typical friends, had typical enemies.  
I had a typical family. Typical mother, typical father, typical annoying little brother.

But it all changed...

"Ha, ha, ha! Come and get the ball, if you can!"

One of the typical bullies was picking on me and my friends during a typical recess. We were playing dodgeball, I think.  
He wouldn't give back the ball. Instead, he took it away from us and used it to play with his friends.

How typical...

I came back from school that day, disappointed as usual.  
Typical bullies, typical homework, typical study time.

It's all typical. Nothing special, out of the ordinary.

Then she appeared.

Even I can't explain it. All I remember was I went to bed for the night. I closed my eyes.  
And she appeared.

She was wearing this beautiful black dress with floral print on it. It looks like something from China, now that I think on it. She also had the whitest blonde hair I've ever seen, tied up in two long pigtails that hung down to the sides of her face.  
She was talking to me... Inviting me to join her.

Join her where...?

She told me of the exciting possibilities.  
It was like something straight out of a fantasy storybook.  
Stories of adventurers. Stories of famous craftsmen (and women, for that matter). Stories of legends, and people who helped them.  
It was all exciting. These people in her stories... this is the kind of life I want to live. Something that isn't typical.

She saw the sparkle in my eyes. She smiled gently and just reached out her arm.

"Come with me, I'll be glad to bring you into this world."

I nodded excitedly and grabbed her hand.  
"I'm sorry, I never asked you your name!"  
"I'm Elrin."  
"Elrin..."  
She blinked, in a bit of thought.  
"That's a nice name." She smiled.  
Then, I suddenly felt weightless. We were floating.

Then suddenly, a blinding flash. 


	2. Chapter 1: Day 0

I woke up to a distinct smell. A very distinct smell.  
I opened my eyes, and I didn't see a ceiling.

I saw white.

But... I thought I fell asleep in my room?

I got up and looked around. There was nothing except a white floor, and a few rings around the end of this "room".

Where am I? Why am I not in my room? What about my homework? My school? My family?

Then she appeared again. The same beautiful girl in my dream.

"Good morning, Elrin."  
Her voice was so tranquil and soft-spoken, it feels like anything she would say is lovely poetry in motion.

"W-Who are you...?"  
I was rather scared. I'm not where I'm supposed to be.  
"D-Did something happen to my home?! Where's my family?!"  
Most importantly.  
"How do you know my name?!"

The girl just giggled. Oh, such beautiful sound.  
"You told me your name, Elrin. Remember?"

Remember?  
Wait, that... wasn't a dream?

"You looked so excited when I told you those stories, Elrin."

Stories...?

"Like the one about the beginner magician who defeated the dungeon by himself?"

...! That story was in my dream!  
Then... that must mean...

"Ah, how impolite of me. My name is Nao. I'm the guardian of the Soul Stream."

Soul Stream?

"It's my duty to lead people from their worlds into this one. The one we call Erinn."

Erinn?  
"Wait, let me get this straight. I'm basically leaving everything I have for this?"  
"Yes. It's not as bad as it sounds, though. You do have a reason to be a part of Erinn."  
"A reason? Me?"

Well... this is the perfect chance to escape my typical life for something new.  
Something exciting.  
Something worth living for.

She smiled at me while I was pondering this.  
"Mmhmm. It looks like you've found your reason... shall we get going?"

"But what about my family? My old friends? They'll realize I'm gone and-"  
She put a finger on my lips and silenced me.  
"Don't worry. I have that taken care of." She smiled. "Shall we get going, then? Your new life awaits."

This is it.  
I nodded. She held out her hands, and as I reached out for them, everything went white.

Then everything slowly faded to black.

Apparently, somehow, I feel asleep again, because I found myself opening my eyes to a wonderful sight. I was leaning against something, but I was too busy paying attention to what was laid right before my eyes.

A bright blue sky with light, fluffy clouds swirling around, almost as if they were playing. Lively trees and a mountain range decorated the horizon.

This is nothing like my world. Where I lived, it was buildings everywhere you looked, and a dirty blue sky looming over the busy metropolis.

Wow, I thought to myself.  
Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever went outside my city. I don't remember a world this... green. So full of life.

I'm really going to like this world, I thought to myself as I smiled, admiring Mother Nature's work.  
I looked down at myself, and I noticed something in my hand. I clutched it and took a look at it. It was an envelope. There was some writing on the front.

"Please give this to Duncan. He'll help you get accustomed to this world. -Nao"  
She drew a cute little happy face of herself at the end.

Well, I might as well try and make a good impression. I'm practically the "new kid in the neighborhood", after all.

Problem is, where's this Duncan?  
I look to my left and right for the smallest clue. There's a path to my left leading somewhere, and to my right is a open grass field...

...full of wolves?!

I scramble to my feet right away. That's when I notice this rather big bag right beside me, at my feet. It looks like a big camper's sack, probably as long as my body. I see "Elrin" sewn in on the bag. This must be another thing Nao left for me. This is awfully thoughtful of her. After all, I'm here without a thing from my old world. No change of clothes, no wallet, not even something essential like a toothbrush.  
I pick my new bag up. It's not empty, there's definitely something inside.

No time to worry about something like that right now, THERE'S WOLVES RIGHT THERE.  
I turn around and sprint away, when...

"EYAH!!!"  
I run straight into someone.

"Ouch... are you okay?"  
I think I'm okay, but why does it feel like I landed on something... soft? "..hmm...?"  
I open my eyes to discover I've planted my face on a girl's chest.

"..."

Talk about leaving a _wonderful_ first impression.

An awkward silence fills the air for what felt like an eternity. I could feel myself blushing harder every passing moment.

What the hell am I supposed to say at a time like this? "I'm sorry I ran into you and planted myself at your boobs?"  
I'm frightened as hell wondering how she'll react.  
Is she going to slap me red?  
Shriek out and make a scene, pinning me as a pervert forever?

Finally, the silence breaks.  
"...I appreciate the fact they're nice enough to nap in, but I have somewhere to go, so..."  
I turn my eyes up to see her reaction, and she's just as embarassed as I am.  
"AH! I'm so sorry!"

I scramble to my feet and extend a hand to help her up. She takes my hand and I help her up.  
"Ehe... don't worry about it. It's not every day you meet someone like this." She smiles kindly. Her blushing is still a bit evident.

I still feel like I owe a bigger apology, but I can't find anything better but "I'm so sorry I did that!" over and over again, trying to hide my embarassed face.  
And every time, she kept saying "It's fine, don't worry!"

"...I don't think I've introduced myself. I'm Alise."  
She held out a hand for a handshake.  
I hold out mine and shake hers. I look up to see who this Alise is.

Alise is about my height. Maybe half an inch shorter than me, tops. She has long brown hair, accompanied with a pair of lively dark gray eyes. She wears a sleeveless yellow tank top along with a pair of white bellbottom pants. She wears a pair of light yellow high heel boots. The whole outfit goes well with her yellowish-white skin, if you ask me.

"And you are?"  
"Ah, I'm Elrin. Elrin Tamril."  
"Pleased to meet you, Elrin."  
"Same to you. I'm new here, so..."  
"Oh, you just crossed the Stream?"  
"Uh... I guess...?" Well, crossing the Stream? Soul Stream? I guess that's right.  
"Well, Duncan is that way." Alise points straight ahead. The path ahead branches out in multiple directions.  
"...Uh... which path should I take?"  
"Just head uphill. You'll find a small village at the top. Look around for a giant tree. You'll see a house nearby that's on higher ground than the tree. That's Duncan's house. He's always there."  
"Ah, all right, thank you, Alise!"  
"Mmhmm!" She gives me a smile. "I remember what it was like when I was new here, too. Don't worry, we won't bite." She giggles a bit. "Well, I should get going then. I'll see you around, Elrin!"  
Alise jogs off, waving at me, down the path I saw when I woke up.

So, uphill, huh?  
Taking a quick look at the branching paths has me slightly imtimidated.  
Well, as long as I go higher, I must be going the right way, right?  
I take my walk upwards.  
I pass by what looks like... a fighting school? There's a bunch of people beating up what looks like combat dummies with wooden sticks, while what looks like the instructor is shouting out commands and scolding for errors. I head upwards and pass by a small little church. The priestess outside is scattering seeds for the chickens outside. She turns to look at me, smiles, and turns back to her feeding duties.  
I finally find myself at what looks like to be the center of town. It's bustling with an awful lot of people relaxing and chatting away. I look straight ahead and I see this humongous tree. It's got to be at least three feet thick! That must be the tree Alise was talking about.  
I look around for a house on higher ground, and it turns out it's behind the tree, from where I stood. I walk up and around the tree, trying not to get in the way of anyone else.  
I see a rather old man waiting for me right beside the house I spotted. He looks maybe in his late 40's or early 50's, with rather long gray hair for a man.  
"Uhm... are you Mr. Duncan?"  
"Yes, I am. And who would you be?"  
Whoa. His voice is not something you would expect from a guy his age. It's got that boom of authority. It makes me really nervous, like if I screwed up I'd be locked up and have the key thrown away. Or eaten.  
"A-ah, uh... I'm new here, and I was given this to give to you...?" I hold out the envelope Nao left for me.  
Duncan takes it and opens it, reading the contents inside.  
"Mmm. I see. Welcome to Erinn, Elrin."  
"T-Thank you, sir."  
Duncan takes his finger and draws something over my head.  
"U-Uh, what are you doing, may I ask?"  
"You can say I'm introducing you to the world."  
"Huh?"  
"One of the primary means of distant communication we use in Erinn is mail by owl."  
"Mail by owl?"  
"Yes. I just made it so the owls can identify you."  
"Oh, that's pretty cool."  
"Well, that's all you need from me, for now."  
"R-really? That's it?"  
"Mmhmm. Go on, now. You have your entire life to live."  
"Uh, w-what do I do?"  
"You can go to the school. If you want to go out and explore what Erinn has to offer, I suggest you learn how to defend yourself, at least."  
"All right, I'll do that. Thank you, sir."  
"You're welcome."

The school... that place where people where smacking dummies with sticks, right?  
I make my way down the hill and to the school. I take a look at the training students as I approach the school, and I see this guy mess up, making a swing and having it slip out of his hands...

...towards me...

...hitting me square on the forehead...

...knocking me out cold.


End file.
